Plymouth State University's gain is Manchester Memorial's loss. PSU on Monday announced the hiring of Ryan Schieding as its new head wrestling coach. Schieding had been Memorial's coach since 2009.

Schieding is a former standout wrestler at PSU who previously served one season as an assistant coach for the Panthers.

"I am very excited about being selected for the coaching position at Plymouth State," said Schieding. "I'd like to thank my two college coaches, Jason Holder and especially Tommy Prairie for helping me get here. I'm excited for the season and the challenge of taking over a new team, as well as bringing Plymouth wrestling back to being a conference contending team. Being a former Plymouth State wrestler myself it's a great feeling to come back to my former school and be in the position that I am. We have a young team with a lot of promise and should make for a fun season."

A native of Manchester, N.H./Memorial H.S., Schieding was a four-year wrestler and two-year co-captain for the Panthers from 2004-08, posting a 62-47 overall record. He was 17-13 in the 157-pound weight class as a junior, and went 23-10 at 174 pounds as a senior, earning All-New England honors with a fifth-place performance at the New England Championships. Schieding was also an assistant coach for the Panthers under Tommy Prairie in 2008-09.

"We are excited to name Ryan Schieding as our new wrestling coach," said PSU Director of Athletics John P. Clark. "We know Ryan takes great pride in returning to his alma mater, and we look forward to watching him and working with him to build our wrestling program. He has great knowledge of the sport and a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm, and we know our student-athletes are now in good hands."

Crisp is top rookie

Keene State College freshman pitcher Mariah Crisp of Greenland on Monday was named the 2013 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III New England Softball Rookie of the Year.

In her rookie campaign, Crisp, who was also selected to the All-ECAC first-team, set a school record for strikeouts (202) while compiling a 1.32 ERA with a 17-5 record. On the season, Crisp had six shutouts and reached double figures in strikeouts 10 times, tying a KSC record with 15 punchouts against UMass-Dartmouth on April 6.

Crisp, the New Hampshire Union Leader's co-Athlete of the Month for April, already boasts of being the Little East Rookie and Pitcher of the year. She was also named to the NFCA All-New England team.

We have made it to the "unofficial" start to summer and the holiday weekend of Memorial Day, a day to remember those who died in service to our country. Don't lose that thought during this three day...